Love Lies Dying
by Gaius Vergilius Severus
Summary: The One Year War is over, and the surviors are left to pick up the pieces. One such survivor aspires to become a mobile suit pilot, but will a shattered relationship continue to haunt him?


Universal Century 0081

_Fucking shit, another day in this shit-ville…_ Virgil Fallynna darkly thought as he got up out of his bed in his small apartment. He reached for the pipe and some weed he had on the night stand. After smoking a bowl he fell back asleep. Recent life had not been good to him. Due to his substandard high school he was not able to get into any of the Federal Universities. This left him adrift in life and he was doing nothing more than taking a token number of classes at a local JC and working a dead end job as a crop duster. He'd been a loner for most of his life, his parents were killed a few years prior to the One Year War and he'd had to make it out on his own and with his rather generous inheritance. Seeing as how he couldn't get into any Universities, he had placed his hopes on the Federation's MS Academy.

_Beep Beep_

_Damnit I fucking hate that thing… _Virgil forced himself out of bed and grabbed his phone. "Who is it?"

"Don't play dumb, you know who this is! Now are we coming to work today Fallynna or what?" His boss yelled at him though the phone.

"I'm out the door right now sir…"

"So how was work today?" Anastasia Romanova asked, looking over at Virgil.

"Like sticking your hand in a blender…" Virgil said with a hint of sarcasm as he took a bite from his chicken sandwich.

"It can be that bad" Virgil's friend Reno Vercetti said from the other side of the table.

"Hm hmmm hmm…" Sally Raynor responded with a suppressed laugh.

It was a sort of routine for the four of them to go out to dinner at a local all night diner. They had all know each other for a few years. Virgil and Reno had known each other since middle school and he'd met Anastasia and Sally two and a half years ago.

"Well I have to go, I need to get up early tomorrow for work." Reno said as he got up and left his part of the bill on the table. It wasn't long after that before Sally had to leave, leaving Anastasia and Virgil there by themselves.

"Well shall we go grab a drink?" Virgil asked.

"Hmm, ok…" she answered.

The two of them had gotten fairly close since they first met. Virgil had started having some feelings for Anastasia. She was only two years younger than his 22 years. The two of them had headed off to one of the nearby bars and had a few drinks. After wards the two had gone to Virgil's place.

Anastasia was starting to feel something for him, but she was still unsure of her feelings. She looked over at him as she sat in the passenger seat of his car as they drove to his place. She thought about the first night they met. It was at a get together at her place, Reno had brought Virgil along to have some drinks. He ended up passing out there and the next morning the two of them were left alone to talk. She was amazed as how well they had clicked. She could see how ambitious he was and that he was determined to go somewhere in life. The more she hung out with him the more his ambition seemed to rub off on her, she was starting to feel like she could take on the world again. But above all she felt like she had someone she could go to who would understand her. She looked over at him again, when he was too busy rubber necking to see a car wreak on the other side of the road to notice she was looking at him. She thought about the turn her life had taken, and about the turn she was sure his had taken as well. They both had been in a rather depressed state when they met and they seemed to be able to pull each other from that abyss.

They had gotten to his apartment and once they were inside and the door closed she leaned back against him.

Virgil felt his arms instinctively wrap around her. "I've got some Jasmine tea, if you want."

"Ok, that sounds good." she said.

He found the tea leaves and put two mugs in the microwave and the two of them were standing in front of the microwave. Anastasia was leaning on Virgil again and he had begun rubbing her stomach. Almost on instinct his hands slid up to her caress her breasts and she gently placed her hands on his and guided his hands back to her belly. She turned her head and gently said "after we're done with the tea."

The water was finished heating and he took her to his room and they sat there on the bed as they drank, Anastasia in Virgil's arms, sitting on his lap. "So what do you want to do with yourself" he asked. She explained how she wanted to become an engineer and work with mobile suits. But she also explained what she wanted in life. That she wanted to learn all kinds of different philosophies and see all kinds of places. She asked what he wanted to do and he explained that he wanted to leave some kind of mark that he was here and that since the One Year War he had just been captivated by Mobile Suits and wanted to pilot one. He explained how he dreamed about being a Mobile Suit test pilot for the Federation or Anaheim Electronics.

Anastasia had finished her tea and looked over to a battered looking note book on his desk. "Hey what's that over there." She said pointing to the book.

"That would be my sketch book, you want to flip though it?"

"Uh-huh, can I?"

"Yeah go ahead and grab it, my leg's kind of numb here."

Anastasia laughed as she stood to get the book. She sat back down on his lap and placed the book on her lap. "Is this the numb one?" She asked as she ran her hand up and down his upper left leg. When he said it was she began massaging it. She flipped though his drawings and they were mostly mechanical drawings, there were a lot of fighters but more and more mobile suits started showing up.

"Hmm these are pretty good" she said trying to ignore how close he had gotten. His chin was resting on her bare shoulder.

"I wanted to make that one a high mobility type that was packing heat. I took some elements from the Zaku High Mobility and the Gundam Unit 4." He explained. As she continued to flip though the book he began smelling her neck and her hair. She had a nice smell, she had the scent of some kind of fancy soap and shampoo.

Anastasia continued flipping though his sketches, there were various mobile suits and armors but he has also been practicing with anime style human figures. "Hmm, I'm not that good on the organic stuff yet. " He said from behind her. She was finding the warmth from his breath across her neck exciting the feelings within her even more. "No you're still pretty good." She continued though the book and could see he was getting better at drawing people. She could feel his hands slide the straps of her bra and shirt down her arms and feel his lips on her shoulders and neck. She continued on and one caught her eye. It was done like a magazine cover. The kind that had a girl in bikini leaning against a car. This one was easily the best drawing she saw. The car was replaced by a mobile suit and the girl was wearing lingerie and was in a sort of leaning/laying position on the chest near the head and open cockpit hatch. And the girl bore a resemblance to her. "Oh wow, this one is good. I mean this one is really great." Virgil looked down and said, "I was thinking about you when I drew that one…" He said as he continued kissing her neck and slid his hands up to caress her breasts. She leaned back into him more and her head fell back slightly. She could feel his hands slide up beneath her shirt and beneath her bra. "Can I get a copy of this one?" she asked, feeling very warm all of a sudden. "Of course…" he whispered. She inhaled sharply as he squeezed her nipples and she let the book fall to the ground while she turned to find his lips with hers. And soon they lost themselves in each other.

Virgil looked down at Anastasia who had curled up against him. This was the first time he had made love to her and he was a little worried. A little worried that they might have screwed up their close friendship. He didn't really want things to change and yet…

_"hmm…"_

Anastasia stirred and opened her eyes. "Morning…" Virgil said looking down at her. She looked up and smiled before she kissed him on the neck. "Do you have work today?" she asked, when he told her no she said "good, just let me lay here for a little longer with you."

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving you, I promise, go back to sleep…" Virgil softly said as he ran his hand though her hair then held her a little tighter.

A month of the daily grind had gone by, just another month of the same old shit. Virgil and Anastasia had grown closer but there seemed to be a sort of invisible barrier that kept them from going all the way. Their relationship constantly hovered in that grey area between friends with benefits and a couple. Anastasia was lying curled up in Virgil's arms. She had been unsure about how she felt about him for awhile, but now she wanted to see if she could take their relationship beyond friendship. She had her hand pressing against his chest and could feel his heart beating, she looked up at his sleeping face and knew now that she loved him. A few moments later he awoke. "good morning" she said. He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. They had just lied there for a few moments before she said "hmm, I need to get up, and stretch, I'll go and get your mail." She was still naked so she grabbed the trench coat he had sitting on a chair on her way out.

Virgil just lain in bed and thought about the last night. He didn't intend to make love to her, it just sort of happened. _Like all the other nights… _He cared about her very much and wanted to take their relationship to the next level. Part of him felt like they already had taken it up to another level. She returned with a handful of envelopes and he sat up in bed while she took a seat on his lap. He slid the coat off her shoulders exposing her slender body, as the coat fell he slid his arms beneath hers his right hand rested on her belly while his left hand caressed her breast.

"Let me see what you've got here…" Anastasia said as she went though the envelopes "hmm…bills, bills, junk mail… wait what's this… Earth Federation Forces Mobile Suit Academy…"

"Hmm… the Federation MS Academy… open that one up and read it…"

Anastasia he skimmed though it and felt a pain though her heart.

_Dear Mr. Virgil Fallynna_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Mobile Suit Academy of the Earth Federation Forces. Please register at the nearest facility before the next semester otherwise your acceptance shall be null and void for this semester._

_General Hans Von Fenris_

_Earth Federal Forces_

"Oh yes, alright, this is what I've wanted!" Virgil leaned back and hugged Anastasia tightly, smiling all the while. Visions popped into his head "damn, what if they decide I'm good enough for space and the give me a GM Sniper II or a GM Command, or maybe even… a Gundam."

_But the nearest Academy is 10 hours away from here and the semester starts in a month…_ "Yeah that's great! I'm happy for you…" Anastasia said.

"Gee ya don't sound too thrilled about it…" Virgil said, a sudden strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I am, I mean it's what you've been busting you ass for…" Anastasia stood up and walk to where her clothes were flung last night. "I've got to head to work so… I'll call you when I get back." she said as she got dressed.

"Umm, ok then…" Virgil was feeling concerned about this. He had really begun to love Anastasia, for the first time in his life he felt like he wasn't alone. For almost all his life, he'd been alone, even when his parents were alive, they were detached and were never really close. And he was finally able to find a place he belonged to, in her arms. But now, he was forced to choose, his career, or his love… _This is a big opportunity that she wouldn't want me to throw away, but I don't want to leave her…_

As Anastasia drove off her mind was a whirl. She loved Virgil, she had a few boyfriends before but they had all cheated on her at on time or another. Virgil on the other hand, she knew that he was sincere, that he wanted something serious and real. But now that he was leaving, they could never be together not anytime soon anyway. Once he graduates from the Academy he'll be in the Federal Forces. She decided that they couldn't allow themselves to get too close, she know if they got too close it would hurt more to continue this when the inevitable came. She decided to try to distance herself to save themselves the pain.

It was almost time for Virgil to leave and the four of them were getting together at Anastasia's place. The had a few drinks and smoked some weed, as usual Virgil hung around until he and Anastasia were alone and was getting a massage from Anastasia. Anastasia's arms were getting tired and her and Virgil had switched off, and he was rubbing her back.

Anastasia smiled as she lay on her belly. "Ahh, my arms are tired" she heard him say as he laid down next to her and she turned on her side, so her back was to his chest. She could feel his fingers lightly running up and down her back. As those fingers moved to her stomach she was feeling warm between her legs. _no stop, this will just hurt us…_ She was laying her head on his left arm while his arm moved up to caress and squeeze her breast. _Please stop…_ she thought but the words out of her mouth were "yes keep doing that…" And his hand slid beneath her shirt, pulled down her bra, and began tickling and squeezing her nipple. _No we're only going to get hurt… _"You're turning me on."

Virgil rolled over on his back and held on to Anastasia as he did, putting her on top of him. She rolled over to face him and looked into his eyes. _Please don't do this…_ Her mind said to herself as she pulled of her shirt and took off her bra. She then leaned over to take his dress shirt off while he slid down her skirt and thong. _You can't do this…_ her mind kept saying as she took off his pants. _No…_ her mind said as she positioned her self over him. _Stop…_ her mind continued as her lips met his and she began to lose herself, _Please stop this… Oh God…I love you… Please make love to me…_

Virgil's time to leave came and gone. Life for Anastasia had gone on as normal. The two of them agreed that a long distance relationship was just a path to more pain so they had left things open ended. She decided she couldn't wait for a dream and began seeing other guys. After a few months she had gotten a new boyfriend though she had been a bit hesitant to tell Virgil. Virgil on the other hand was concentrating on his piloting and was rising to the top of his class. Still despite all this Virgil would still return on leave and spend his time with her.

"Damn you are The Man when it comes to this. I mean shit, three Zakus with the beam saber and taking that Gelgoog's rifle and using it on him." Cadet Keith Sutherland said with a mock salute to Virgil as they got out of their simulators.

"You know it man. " Virgil answered with a smile. The simulator missions they were doing either involved a ground mission in an RGM-79G or a space mission in an RGM-79C. He was proving to be quite a versatile pilot being able to handle both scenarios well.

"So what you planning to do on leave?" Keith asked.

"Well I've sort of got a friend waiting for me back home…" he answered.

Virgil returned and the for of them had gone to Virgil's old place. Once again he and Anastasia were alone. "I have to tell you something…" she said. Anastasia wasn't sure if she should continue but soon felt she had to tell him. "I've been seeing someone…" She continued "It was a couple months after you left."

"Well I suppose I can't be mad, I mean we never really got together and even if we did, I can't always be here." His tone that of someone fighting to hide the pain.

"So I think I should just head back home…" Anastasia said as she stood up from Virgil's embrace.

"Alright then… Well I have to head back tomorrow so I'll call you some time." Virgil said.

"Ok then, I'll see you later then." She said as she left.

Virgil's emotions had just become a huge blender. He truly loved that woman and would have given his soul to her. But on the other hand he knew circumstances wouldn't allow it.

UC 0082

Time went on and Anastasia had one relationship after another while some what going back to Virgil in between. It reached the point where Virgil was feeling like the rebound guy while Anastasia felt like she was treating him like one. Virgil had called Anastasia out to the park where they used to hang out before he came to the Academy. "Anne, read this letter, you know I've always had it hard to say these kinds of things out loud" he said as he handed a letter to Anastasia.

Anastasia read the letter and thought for a while "Well I love you too, but it just wont work. I don't really love you in that way."

"So what was all that then?" he asked.

"Well I didn't know the sex would be like that…" she answered but Virgil cut her off. "No I don't mean the sex, I mean all those little things like when we just held each other.

"I though we just being close friends. For awhile I was in love with you though. " she answered.

"So what happened then?" he asked and she answered "You had to leave. If you've never left we'd be going out right now." Anastasia thought of more to say, she knew there was more. "Virgil, we really do connect on that deep level. But I just… I just can't keep waiting for something that may never happen. I have my own life to live and if the Federation is going to send you to the farthest parts of the Earth Sphere.

"You have a point, it's not right of me to expect you to follow me to where ever the Federation sends me off to. Well I suppose I should move on too, I can't keep living a dream either and I have my own path to follow. I just want you to know most of my life I've been alone. When you're alone as long as I've been, sometime you tend to have a longing. A longing to matter to someone, anyone. Something to let you know you're not alone. I found that with you. I don't want to go back to being alone again."

Anastasia reached out and held Virgil in her arms. "We're still friends, just remember all the good times." she said. "I still love you,"

Time went on and they still maintained contact though they had both agreed on taking a break from all the emotional aspects. Both had their different relationships but they never really worked out. Finally it was time for graduation and they were alone again. They were at his apartment there and held her in the same manner he had some many times. Once again they had lost themselves in each other.

Anastasia woke up and whispered "we made a mistake." Despite that she still felt, so happy when she was with him. She was so confused about what to do but she knew she loved him_…_

_"We did make a mistake, but it wasn't this…" he softly said. "Our mistake was going against our hearts…" he continued._

Anastasia remained silent and thought about that.

"I got assigned a Gundam, an RX-79-2G Kai, I'm going to be sent to the North West, near San Francisco." he told her.

"Come with me…" He softly said.

Anastasia began to softly cry "I love you, but you're going away again. And I just accepted into the university so I can't go with you."

"The fates just won't let us be together…" he whispered.

_Well how are you doing, my dear friend? _Virgil thought as he looked up at his RX-79-2G Ground Gundam Kai. The Ground Kai was an upgrade of the Ground Gundam used in the One Year War. It featured upgraded electronics and use a frame similar to the RX-79BD-3 Blue Destiny experimental unit. This gave the suit added mobility, and made it the top of the line Federal ground combat unit. The suit featured a toned down version of the standard blue on white Gundam paint job, with a grayish midnight blue and light grey, and on it's left shoulder it sported the Foxhound Team's emblem, a shield with a fox holding a beam knife in it's mouth. Like it's older brother the Ground Kai also carried a variety of weapons, though Virgil often preferred the beam rifle or the 100mm machine gun.

"I wish guys would look at me the way you look at that mobile suit…" Virgil looked to the left and found Rinoa Loackheart, the Foxhound team's rather attractive looking executive officer, walking towards him, her hands in her pockets and a smile on her face. Virgil had been assigned as a replacement pilot to the Foxhound team stationed in North America near San Francisco. Rinoa had been the one who had made him feel the most welcome, and since he joined the team she had become a mentor to him and had taught him everything she could about being a military pilot. Rinoa was the one he felt the most comfortable with, and the two had gotten close, though he was starting to suspect that it wasn't close enough for her.

"Yeah I don't think that's going to happen, a Gundam is a very beautiful piece of craftsmanship, a work of art, and well, you're pretty butt-ass ugly…" Virgil said with a smile and a hint of sarcasm on his voice.

"You're an asshole, you're so mean…" she laughed. "Anyway the rest of the team is going out for some drinks and we were all wondering where the newbie was at. Turns out he was in the hangar the whole time looking at his Gundam like he wanted to make love to it." she said putting an arm around Virgil's shoulders.

"I just sort of needed some time to myself to think…" he said.

Rinoa had picked up on his tone, "it's about Anastasia isn't it? I know it's hard, leaving behind everything you know, especially the one person you love most, believe me I know. But you can't let it drag you down." Rinoa, who was four years older than Virgil, had been a GM pilot during the One Year War. She was forced to leave her lover behind when she was sent to space with the Federation fleet to attack Solomon and A Bao A Qu. She returned home to learn that he had became a GM sniper pilot and was killed in South East Asia fighting the Zeon mobile armor Apsulus III, that was in 0079. She was also the only one he had ever spoke to about Anastasia. "Now I know it's hard, but you need to let that girl do her own thing for awhile. If you two really love each other, you'll be together again later on. We're a team here and we all have to know we can count on each other if we're going to survive though a battle, and how do the others know we can count on you if you're out here sulking by yourself? You'll be with her when the time is right."

"You're right, I should spend more time with the others, it's not like this thing has an EXAM system I can talk to… Lead the way…"

"Alright, that's the spirit! Now it's time for us to hit the _spirits_." Rinoa said triumphantly.

UC 0083

Time passed and to run from the pain Virgil had focused on his piloting and the Federation was going to transfer him to a GM Custom unit up in space. He was going to be assigned to the assault carrier Gray Phantom at the end of the month for space maneuver training. If he ranked high enough he could request a transfer to a space MS team. Anastasia had found herself another boy friend, though she was starting to realize she had a good thing with Virgil and was starting to regret not taking the chance to be with him. As their lives went on, they grew a bit apart.

This was the year the Delaz Fleet initiated Operation Stardust. In conjunction with Stardust several Zeon units still on Earth began an uprising. Virgil's Gundam team was assigned to take care of one of these uprisings.

"What the hell?!" Rinoa said in total disbelief at a monitor.

"Eh? What's up?" Virgil said looking up from the computer he was using to run a diagnostics check on his Gundam's systems.

"The Federation Fleet at Konpei Island was attacked with the GP02's nuclear missiles. One third of the fleet's been lost including the flagship Birmingham and the Gray Phantom. To make matters worse there are all kinds of Zeon remnant on Earth starting all kinds of shit and there are rumors going around about an attempt at another colony drop."

"OK you two, grab the rest of the squad, time for us to prove we're worth our pay." Jack Campbell, the Foxhound team's commander, said as he entered the hangar.

Virgil powered up his Gundam's systems and followed out Jack and Rinoa's units 1 and 2. This was his fourth combat mission. Several Zeon suits were moving to raid a nearby supply depot. They had gotten the jump on the Federal Forces, the main fleet at Konpei Island was in shambles and the ground forces were almost totally caught by surprise. To defend the supply depot, all the Federation had stationed there were a few Type 61 tanks and a squad of FF-6 Tin Cod fighters. This detachment could hold off the Zeon mobile suits but not for long.

He looked at the 3D image of the area that appeared in the corner of one of his monitors. The facility was located in a suburban area and the place was getting trashed. _Hmm, four Zakus and a Gelgoog… not too much… Looks like the guys there already damaged two of the Zakus…_

"OK here's the plan, we're going to surround the area and attack from three different angles. Canard, you guys just hang back out of the action." Campbell said. Virgil and the other two got into position and the Zeon units still haven't noticed them, as they were tied up with the increasingly desperate tanks and fighters. Things were going according to plan when one of the Zakus noticed Rinoa's unit crouching behind a building.

"Aw SHIT! Hey I'm pinned down here and can use a little help." Rinoa shouted into the radio.

"Damnit, Fallynna I'm busy with the other two Zakus, go and pull her ass out of the fire!" Campbell ordered.

Virgil looked over the area where she was pinned down, she was backed into a corner between two 5 story buildings. The two Zakus were maneuvering in to catch her in between them. _Hmm, she can more than hold her own, but she can't handle multiple opponents at close combat…_ The Gundam had a limited flight capabilities, basically it could jump in the air and hover there for a few seconds. He wasn't too far from that area, and decided to try to take them out in one pass, he still had the element of surprise on them and could pull it off.

He jumped his Gundam into the air and targeted the first Zaku with his beam rifle and fired. The beam lanced though the cockpit, incinerating the pilot. Before the first shot even hit the Zaku he dashed forward, drew his beam saber and landed right behind the second Zaku a moment after the beam killed his comrade. The Zaku already had it's heat tomahawk drawn and turned to attack, but before it could bring it's ax into action Virgil sliced it in half at the waist.

"Thanks for the save." Rinoa said, relief flowing though her.

"Heh, no sweat, I needed some mobile suits to keep that lone Zaku on my kill sheet company…" Virgil replied, as he said that he couldn't help but roguishly fling a lock of hair back with his left hand.

"OH shit, hey that Gelgoog is coming after us here!" Canard yelled into the radio.

"I see him, he's mine…" Virgil responded, he could see the Gelgoog fairly well from his position, and though it was going to be a tricky shot he was sure he could make it. He maneuvered his Gundam into a crouch and brought the beam rifle up to a classic shooting pose. He pulled the targeting computer headset from the side of his seat, this would allow him to sight though the rifle's gun camera to make a more precise shot. The Gelgoog was taking cover by a building, knowing that three Gundams were around, and taking shots at the swerving hover truck Canard and his gunner were in. From where he was he could see the Gelgoog and lined his shot up, with some gentle nudges and tugs on his control stick he lined up his shot where the cockpit was and fired. The beam lanced though the Gelgoog and the suit froze in place like a statue. There was no way he'd ever attempt that shot with a shell firing weapon. He would run the risk of detonating the mobile suit's fusion reactor.

"Well it looks like that was the last one, and we're all in one piece, RTB." Campbell announced.

Virgil was taking a look at the damage done to the area when Rinoa's face appeared in the corner of one of his screens. "Hey thanks for saving me back there. At close range, those Zakus would have diced me up. Looks like I owe you one."

"Well I'd tell you not to worry about it, but knowing your sense of honor you're not going to let it go, so all I'll say is, I'll hold you to that… Right now let's just go home." Virgil responded.

Rinoa smiled and nodded a response.

"Damn you fucked those guys up back there." Canard said as he got out of their support hover truck..

"Heh heh, you know it. But I've still got some catching up to do with the commander." Virgil replied.

"You're still pretty good though, I mean two Zakus in one pass, plus that snipe shot on the Gelgoog. I'll go buy you a drink." Rinoa said coming up behind Virgil and putting her left arm around his shoulder and nudging his chin with her right fist. "After all, you only need one more to get your ace badge.

"So what happens when I get those ace wings?" He asked with a sly smile.

"Then I get you totally shit-faced, and maybe give you a little something extra on the side…" She replied matching his smile.

Rinoa and Virgil were at a local bar when the alert went out. A large group of Zeon had begun attack a small near by town. "Oh come on we just got back, for fuck's sake." Virgil growled as he got up with Rinoa. They got back to the hangar and Commander Campbell was there to give them a sit-rep. "Ok here's the situation, a group of Zeon are heading to hit this facility and the one we just got back from, and they're rampaging and looting a town not far from here. They are to be driven back or destroyed. Since all the other units are out, us three are going to be the only ones out there."

"Sir how many suits do we have to dance with?" Virgil asked.

"They say about five, not too much for us to handle." Campbell answered.

"Well this'll be fun, think I'll take the beam rifle…" Virgil said,

They arrived at the town and found half of it in ruin. "Shit what happened here, this place is a mess…" Virgil said surveying the area.

"Hey heads up guys, we've got three Zakus in the area and…it looks like two more Zakus… two Doms… and… a Gouf…" Canard Harrelson reported from the hover truck. "Hmm it also looks like they've got some MS barricades around here too. "

"Ok people here's the deal, Lockheart, you secure out escape, Fallynna we're going to tag team these guys." Campbell laid out his plan.

"Sir are you sure the three of us can handle this…?" Rinoa asked.

"Either way we don't have much of a choice. A we can't let them get away with this, B we can't let them attack the base, and C it'll take too long to wait for back up." Campbell replied.

"Ok lets do this then…" Virgil said with a smile.

Anastasia had gone into town with her boyfriend for a vacation only to get caught in one of the Zeon uprisings. She was on break from the university where she was studying engineering with an emphasis on mobile suits and armors. She had met someone at the university who she enjoyed sharing her company with and came with him here to visit his home town. Police officers in town told her that the nearby Federation Base had dispatched an MS team and he believed it was a Gundam team. Though it didn't help matters that her boyfriend had suddenly lost his balls and she had to pretty much take care of him. This had put her in a foul mood since it proved that this guy was basically all talk, that when pressure came knocking he couldn't hang and just folded. A typical paper cut out tough guy. _Fuck, I wish Virgil was here… At least I wouldn't have to hold his hand though all this. _There were several mobile suits around and she saw a few guys on foot wearing Zeon uniforms. She looked around and grabbed her panicky boyfriend's hand and took off.

Virgil swooped in on two of the Zakus, he shot one in the cockpit and dueled one with his beam saber. The Zaku had pulled out it's heat tomahawk and took several swings at him. He blocked a hit with his shield and used the opportunity to impale the Zaku though the cockpit with his beam saber. _I believe a pair of ace wings are waiting for me back at base… _In the meantime Campbell had swooped and effortlessly chopped the third Zaku in half with his saber. The additional three suits arrived and Virgil engaged one of the Doms, while Campbell tried to take out the other Dom before the Gouf arrived.

"Shit, DIE ALREADY!" Virgil roared as he sliced the head off the Dom and put the saber though the cockpit. In the corner he saw Commander Campbell take a hit from a bazooka followed by a blow from a heat tomahawk that took it's left arm and shield off. "Commander you're hit hard!" He said as the Dom Campbell took out severally damaged his Gundam with it's heat sword in a last defiant act of a Zeon soldier against the Federation. "Commander withdraw and I'll cover your retreat."

"Roger, Lockheart go put that 180mm to use." Campbell ordered. Rinoa took the 180mm cannon from the truck and took out two Zakus from long range.

"Oh shit bad news guys, we got that Gouf plus three more Zakus coming." Canard reported.

"Damnit, Rinoa get the Commander out of here I'll cover our escape." Virgil yelled as he engaged the Gouf.

Anastasia was running though the town when a decapitated Dom head fell near her. She could see some Zeon foot soldiers running though the town and her boyfriend had ran off in total panic a few moments ago. At this point she wasn't sure how she was going to get out of this alive. She had took off down an ally only to come across some of the foot soldiers. She kept running as they fired on her and she felt a sting on her cheek as a bullet nicked her. _So this is where I'm going to die…_ She continued to run until she lost the soldiers and she arrived at an open area that had been completely ruined. What was once buildings was all just rubble. She heard a mechanical noise and looked up to find a Zaku looking over a building and pointing it's machine gun at her and she closed her eyes preparing herself for her death, _I love you Virgil…good-bye…_

She waited for the 100mm rounds from that gun to shred her body to nothing, but the rounds never came. She opened her eyes and instead found the Zaku's head blown away and she saw another beam of light lance through it's cockpit. She looked up and found the source. An RX-79-2G Ground Gundam Kai, on it's right shoulder it had the number 03 painted on and the left shoulder had a emblem with some sort of dog holding a beam knife in it's mouth. _There's something about that emblem…_

Just then she saw a Gundam with a bar on it's shoulder take a few hits, the last one, from a bazooka, looked bad. _No are they being beaten back?!_ _Wait, not that one…_ She looked up and saw 03 engage the Gouf. The Gouf had damaged the Gundam's left arm with it's gun-hand while the Gundam sliced off the same gun hand. The Gouf pulled out it's heat blade and engaged the Gundam. The two were dueling when the other two Zakus arrived. _He's out numbered and still fighting…he's has to be an ace…_

"Shit those Zakus are here… grrr ENOUGH!" he shouted as he ducked a swing from the Gouf and crouched down. He sliced off the Gouf's legs and as it's upper body fell he stood up and put his beam saber though it's cockpit. "Good they're away, time for to get the hell out of Dodge… wait a minute…" He zoomed in on his monitor on a very familiar looking young woman looking up at his unit from beneath some rubble _no impossible, ANASTASIA… I've got to protect her…I can't leave her with the Zakus still here…_

_Anastasia was transfixed by the Gundam I know that pilot… She watched as he finished off the Gouf, but took a couple shots from a Zaku's machine gun. Alarmed she saw a few small explosions on the Gundam, though she remembered the tough armor Gundams had and figured that would only piss the pilot off even more. The Gundam spun around a shot twice at the Zaku, with it's beam rifle, a shot though the head and cockpit. The Gundam fired another burst and took out the second Zaku while the other rushed the Gundam and swung it's heat axe burying it into the Gundam's main body in a kamikaze attack. Horrified she saw an explosion but the Gundam had taken it's saber and put it though the Zaku. The Zaku fell dead while the Gundam fell back onto a T intersection and was lying against a building, smoking and a bit charred on the main body. _

She ran to the fallen Gundam and found the Emergency Cockpit Release and pulled the lever opening the cockpit. She saw the pilot and he looked badly injured, he was knocked out and his midsection was soaked in dark colored blood, she pulled him out. She crouched on the Gundam's chest and placed the pilot's head on her lap, that was when she saw his face. _NO! _"Oh god please, Virgil open your eyes…" she pleaded, tears running down her face. "Please wake up!"

Virgil cracked his eyes open, _damnit, it hurts so fucking bad… hurts all over…_ _fucking Zaku, almost hit the cockpit… _He looked up and saw Anastasia's face. "Anne…" he said weakly and tried to raise his hand to touch her cheek.

"Virgil, Virgil I'm here, please don't die…" Anastasia pleaded, as she took his raised hand. She was shocked at how weak he was. Shock that those were the same hands that so firmly held her not over a year ago.

"The Zaku…did I get him?" Virgil asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Yeah you got him, please don't talk now, save your strength." Anastasia said as she took her black coat off and put it over his wounds and she took his blood soaked hand in hers. As she covered his wounds she was shocked that she was able to feel his intestines and organs. _Oh my god! He's all torn up inside. _

"Ha ha… you fuck with me… you fuck…with the best…" he said before coughing up an alarming amount of blood.

Anastasia desperately looked around for someone to help, there was no one. She screamed out for help and there was no response. She fumbled for her cellular phone and found the emergency lines all jammed up. "Virgil does the radio in the Gundam work?" she asked, desperation creeping in her voice. He simply shook his head. "I have to find help…" she said.

"Anne… it's cold…" he said, his voice weakening _my organs are shredded… not much time left…_ With what seemed to be all his strength he squeezed her hand. "I'm glad… I was…able… to protect… you…"

"You did, you saved me, that Zaku was going to kill me before you shot it in the head. But I have to go find help now or you might not make it." Anne said, trying to sound strong.

He swallowed summoning up all his strength left. "Anne… please don't go, either way… I'm dying… I don't want to die alone…I hate… being alone…"

"I'm here, I'm not leaving you." She sobbed. "I love you, you matter to me… You belong somewhere, you belong with me…" She leaned over and kissed him. "You're not alone…" As much as she wanted to deny it, he was dying _he's hurt bad for sure, that's a lot of internal bleeding…_ She could actually feel like life fading from him as she held him. She looked down at him and realized that their mistake wasn't getting too close, but not following what their hearts wanted.

"Thank you Anne… I'm happy… I love…you…" And his eyes looked upon the woman he loved one last time before he closed them for the last time.

Anastasia felt the last of life fade from him and cried. _If only… If only I had the strength to do it, to really tell you what was in my heart. _"All this time, you were never alone, I always loved you… I'm so sorry for being so stupid. For not realizing everything until it was too late. Everything I wanted in a person, you had, I was looking for someone who was right in front of me this whole time." She whispered as she ran her fingers though his hair. And she began to softly sing

"Cause a thousand words

Call out through the ages

They'll fly to you Even though we can't see I know they're reaching you

Suspended on silver wings

Oh a thousand words

One thousand embraces

Will cradle you Making all of your weary days seem far away

They'll hold you forever

Oh a thousand words

Have never been spoken

They'll fly to you They'll carry you home and back into my arms

Suspended on silver wings ohhh

And a thousand words

Call out through the ages

They'll cradle you Turning all of the lonely years to only days

They'll hold you forever"

"I know One Thousand Words was one of your favorite songs, I'm sorry I don't know the whole song but I hope you were able to hear it…" Anastasia softly said. She felt something warm around her, like someone was holding her, that she wasn't alone, and she felt safe.

From the distance Rinoa watched from her Gundam, her monitors were zoomed in on Virgil and his ruined Gundam. Tears flowed from her eyes as she reached out to touch his image on the monitor. "See in the end you were with her…" she quietly whispered.


End file.
